The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop valve cover

I have a 216 1951 3100 the valve cover has 2 bolts on top. Installed with cork gasket with no sealer as recommended leaked like a sieve. Please advise.

I adhered the cork gasket to the head with #2 Permatex on my ‘59 235. I did not put any on the top, as I wanted to be able to remove the cover easily. It builds a little dam around the gasket area to help keep control the oil. No leaks!

The 235 only has four 1/4” bolts attaching the cover to the head, so it’s not much if any better than the two on top of your cover. In fact, it's real easy to overtighten the bolts, deforming the cover, causing leaks.

To add to what Phil posted, did you check out the valve cover to head mating surfaces to be sure they are flat and even?

Previously over tightening of a cover can deform the sealing lip surfaces and it needs to be straightened out before attempting to use a new gasket and sealer suggested by Phil.

I too use the same valve cover gasket method as Phil and find it has worked well, even with sometimes multiple times of having to pull the valve cover for various reasons on my engines.

thank you!

Here's enough material to make two slightly oversize gaskets at a good price. All it takes is a box cutter and a straight edge, and a little careful trimming. Glue the gasket to the cylinder head with weatherstrip adhesive and use a little Vaseline or wheel bearing grease on top. You can remove and replace the valve cover for valve adjustment several times if needed.

www.ebay.com/itm/264254653571?

Jerry

Two other things you can do: Buy 2 valve cover gaskets. Glue one to the valve cover and one to the head using either Permatex 300 or Aviation gasket sealer. That way you'll have two gasket surfaces with no gasket sealer and therefore they won't stick together. Second thing is get some 3/16" aluminum and make some spreader bars like I did. There should be a tech tip somewhere here showing them. Those will also keep any leaks from happening. Good luck!

Modified small block part to fit.

Some of y'all are talking apples. He has an orange. With two acorns on top.

Dankjt,
Check to make sure that the bottom of the sides haven't spread out from overtightening of the 2 nuts over the life of the truck. You can bend them back into place with your hands.

Clean the top of the head and the bottom of the valve cover and place the valve cover on the head without a gasket and use a thin feeler gauge on the driver side of the cover and the front and back for gaps. Now the tinsmith work begins. Hammer down the high spots while the cover is on the head. The head will be your dolly.
The passenger side of the cover has a flange in the way which prevents you from using a feeler gauge. You can use a straight edge on the top of the cover on that side to check for high spots and hammer them flat. That side of the valve cover usually doesn't need much work since the flange has a stiffening effect there.

Check the top of the valve cover where the 2 holes are and make sure that area isn't recessed from 70 years over overtightening. You can fix that with an appropriated sized deep well socket and a socket extension and a hammer. Do this with the cover upside down on a 2x6 on a bench.
Have fun, then brag about it with perfect strangers.